Will Artificial Intelligence reshape how we practice religion?

“Hi, ChatGPT, do you think you could replace an imam, priest or rabbi in religious teachings in future?”

On a Tuesday morning, we posed this question to ChatGPT, the world's most widely used AI tool, with over 180 million users. It answered instantly, as we avoided using its web search tool.

“While AI can assist in religious education by providing information and facilitating discussions, replacing an imam or priest entirely in religious teachings seems highly improbable.”

The AI system then gave several reasons before concluding that “AI serves as a supplementary tool rather than a substitute for human religious leadership.”

This brief yet telling exchange offered us a glimpse into the intriguing relationship between artificial intelligence and religion.

The relevance of this question has grown as recent examples around the world have shown how AI is beginning to interfere with spiritual experiences.

AI's entry into sacred spaces

Recent examples from Lucerne and Poznan reflect this unusual involvement of AI in religion.

In Lucerne, Switzerland, an experimental AI-powered tool called ‘Deus in Machina’ was installed at the St. Peter's Chapel in August. This machine, which provides an AI-generated Christ avatar, interacts with visitors and addresses inquiries on faith and morality.

Over two months, this AI, based on OpenAI's GPT-4, conducted approximately 900 conversations in multiple languages, and took questions by visitors on religion and modern-day woes, and offered responses based on Scripture.

Simultaneously, last month in Poznan, Poland, an AI-powered program was introduced in a Catholic chapel, allowing parishioners to seek guidance through a digital interface at the lectern by pushing a button."

To understand the implications of this technological integration into religious spaces, TRT World spoke with Prof. Ahmet Dag, a scholar from Bursa Uludag University specialising in the philosophy of religion.

The human element

Prof. Dag identifies a key philosophical tension in this technological integration.

“Artificial intelligence is primarily a scientific and technical phenomenon,” he notes.

"Assigning a spiritual or religious dimension to such a technical instrument creates an anachronistic situation." In other words, trying to give AI spiritual qualities is like forcing a modern tool to fulfill a historical role, a mismatch that ignores the fundamental differences between technology and spirituality.

He elaborates on the risks of this approach by referencing Deus in Machina in Switzerland.

“Replacing a priest with an AI-powered statue of Christ, as seen in these contexts, risks turning religion into something ‘idolised,’ presenting challenges in the management, interpretation, and sharing of religious symbols and imagery in digital environments. This detachment from religion's original foundations could potentially cause it to ‘evaporate’ over time.”

Prof. Dag draws attention to another critical concern when considering AI's role in religious scholarship.

"The use of AI to generate interpretations or commentaries on religious texts could result in a rigid, dogmatic, and overly authoritative structure, due to the algorithmic nature of AI. This mechanised approach risks diminishing the fluid, interpretive, and inherently human aspects of understanding religion."

His observation reflects a substantial limitation of AI systems - while they can process vast amounts of religious texts and generate responses based on patterns, they lack the in-depth understanding that comes from human experience, cultural context, and spiritual reflection. Religious texts often contain metaphors, allegories, and multiple meanings that require human insight and wisdom for appropriate interpretation.

This challenge becomes particularly evident when considering the historical approach to religious scholarship. For centuries, human scholars have debated and reinterpreted religious texts based on changing social contexts, cultural understanding, and contemporary needs.

These ongoing discussions have ensured that religious teachings remain meaningful and relevant to diverse generations and communities.

However, the mechanical nature of AI, with its reliance on fixed algorithms and data-driven patterns, risks disrupting this dynamic process of human interpretation.

'Organic vs Algorithmic'

“Religion is inherently organic, while artificial intelligence is algorithmic and machine-based. This fundamental difference risks severing the natural connection between religion and life,” says Prof. Dag.

He warns that this shift toward AI in religious spaces could fundamentally alter how faith is practised and experienced.

"The integration of AI in religious contexts could lead to entirely new forms of representation, potentially giving rise to various religious beliefs or groups rooted in digital structures," he notes.

According to Dag, AI's involvement in religious practices could also lead to "cyber-algorithmic communities" that differ significantly from traditional religious congregations.

These digital gatherings represent a departure from centuries-old practices of communal worship and spiritual guidance. The result, he says, is not an enriched faith experience but one that becomes increasingly transactional and devoid of its sacred essence.

Risk of misinformation and commodification

Dr. Rey Ty, a faculty member in the Department of Peace Studies, International College, Payap University, Thailand, offers a thought-provoking critique of integrating AI into religious practices in his research.

He points out that while artificial intelligence can provide efficient and accessible guidance, its limitations pose serious risks to the sanctity of faith.

One of his primary concerns is the tendency of AI to offer boilerplate advice—generic, impersonal responses that fail to address the sensitive and deeply personal needs of individuals seeking spiritual guidance.

Ty warns that this lack of emotional depth could alienate users, and may disrupt the human connection towards religion.

He then points out the risks of misinformation leading AI systems to rely heavily on metadata, which can sometimes be biased or incomplete.

According to Ty, this creates the potential for AI to spread distorted religious teachings, leading to a misrepresentation of sacred doctrines.

"Misinformation and inaccuracies generated by AI can damage the integrity of faith and religious communities," he states.

Another ethical challenge Ty raises is the potential for AI to produce content that inadvertently maligns other religions. This, combined with the hypothetical risk of sentient AI manipulating end users, raises profound ethical questions about the role of technology in sacred spaces.

Ty further analyses the commodification of religion through AI integration. He reflects on how introducing AI into sacred practices could reduce faith to a transactional experience by undermining its spiritual authenticity.

This concern is compounded by privacy issues, as sensitive spiritual interactions could be exploited or mishandled in digital systems.

Ty says this could violate the trust and confidentiality essential to ‘religious communities’ and calls for preserving the sanctity and authenticity of spiritual practices.

Ethical challenges

Perhaps the most profound question is whether AI can truly offer ethical and theological guidance.

Prof. Dag believes it could be possible to program AI with ethical principles since technology is a product of the cultural environment. However, he elucidates that these rules must be rooted in the cultural and moral frameworks of the communities they serve instead of solely based on frameworks like Asimov’s principles or traditional ethical theories.

“Artificial intelligence is not created in isolation. It reflects the values of the nations and societies from which it emerges, as well as the views of its designers, who are influenced by their own religious and cultural contexts,” he says.

Yet, Dag is cautious about allowing AI to take on too prominent a role in spiritual leadership. He explains that while AI can act as a guide or facilitator, its influence must not override the essence of human free will, which lies at the heart of religious practice.

"While AI can serve as a guide or facilitator, the procedures it directs must avoid the renunciation of human free will. Religion is about the organic relationship between life and spirituality, something AI cannot replicate,” he tells TRT World.